FSIS Constituent Update: June 21, 2002

The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods Given New Charge on Campylobacter

FSIS has given the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) a new charge regarding the laboratory methods that FSIS used in its 1994–1995 and 1999–2000 baseline studies in young chickens. Specifically, NACMCF will be asked to address the analytical utility of Campylobacter identification and quantification methodologies in the charge below.

FSIS asks that NACMCF:

• Review and compare the methodologies used for Campylobacter detection in the 1994–1995 and 1999–2000 baseline studies in young chickens;
• Evaluate them for the accuracy and precision that they provide in assessing the prevalence and quantity of Campylobacter on chicken carcasses; and
• Compare the methodologies used in the two studies with recent methodological advances for their ability to provide data on the presence and quantity of Campylobacter for application in risk assessment and the establishment of baselines.

This charge will be discussed at the next meeting of the subcommittee on microbiological performance standards for meat and poultry, which will be held August 6–8, 2002 in Room 369, Aerospace Building, 901 "D" St., SW, Washington, DC. The subcommittee will continue its deliberations on the performance standard for Salmonella in ground beef on August 6^th and 7^th, and will undertake this new charge on Campylobacter on August 8^th. The three-day meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. each day. For additional information, contact Brenda Halbrook at (202) 690-6600.

FSIS Conference on Animal and Egg Production Food Safety July 9-11 in Puerto Rico

The FSIS scientific Conference on Animal and Egg Production Food Safety will be held July 9-11, 2002 at the Caribe Hilton San Juan Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Topics to be discussed will encompass an analysis and discussion of: 1) food safety principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point based animal production, 2) seafood safety, 3) animal feeds, 4) backyard slaughter, 5) new trends in antimicrobial resistance, and 6) biosecurity. Access the Federal Register notice announcing this meeting and the draft agenda at: www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/pubevent.htm. For additional meeting information, contact Mary Harris, FSIS Planning Staff, at: (202) 690-6497.

U.S. Codex Public Meeting Pertaining to Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses

A public meeting has been scheduled for July 30, 2002, to take comments and discuss U.S. positions on agenda items for the 24th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses. The Committee meeting will be held November 4-8, 2002 in Berlin, Germany. The public meeting will be held from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Harvey Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, Maryland. For additional meeting information, contact the U.S. Codex Office at (202) 205-7760. Access Codex meeting information at: www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/codex/new.htm.

FSIS Report on Salmonella Testing 1998-2000 Published in Journal of Food Protection

FSIS’ report entitled "Testing for Salmonella in Raw Meat and Poultry Products Collected at Federally Inspected Establishments in the United States, 1998 through 2000," has been published in the June edition of the Journal of Food Protection. From January 1998-December 2000, Federal inspectors collected 98,204 samples and 1,502 completed sample sets for Salmonella analysis from large, small, and very small establishments that produced at least one of seven raw meat and poultry products: broilers, market hogs, cows and bulls, steers and heifers, ground beef, ground chicken, and ground turkey. The results of the 3-year report indicate a reduction in Salmonella prevalence in most of the product categories after the implementation of the Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP) final rule in July 1996. The report includes results from B and C data sets, which are run only after A set failures. Therefore, caution is advised when comparing data among sets. Several staff members of the FSIS Office of Public Health and Science wrote the report. Access an abstract of the report at: www.foodprotection.org/

FSIS Updates Country Requirements for Mexico and Kosovo in Export Library

Country requirements for Mexico and Kosovo have been recently updated in the Export Library on FSIS’ web site. The web site lists country requirements for exporting meat and poultry products, U.S. plants approved for export, FSIS Directives and Notices, Export Notices, Frequently Asked Questions, and other export related information. Access this information at: www.fsis.usda.gov/OFO/export/explib.htm

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THIS WEEK’S HOT WEB LINKS

*This section has been added to remind readers of information available on the FSIS web site. Web links will vary from week-to-week.

• Key Agency Contacts:
  www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/programs/key.htm
   
• Technical Service Center Home Page: 
  www.fsis.usda.gov/OFO/TSC/
   
• Freedom of Information Act Reading Room: 
  www.fsis.usda.gov/FOIA/readroom.htm
   
• Federal, State and Local Government Relations Staff-Retail Education Outreach Programs: www.fsis.usda.gov/oppde/fslgrs/retail.htm